Will she lose it... updates from the large

Saw the hemo on Thursday. Its good news and bad news. Good news is that I don't need an infusion- yet. That is the bad news. I am still going to need one. It has been 15 months or so since my last infusion. I have managed to hold onto to my ferritin stores for 9 months longer than since surgery. I was getting infused with dextran infusion every 6 months and symptomatic before that at times. I turned this around with 2 cheawable iron tablets from www.bbvitamins.com every morning on an empty stomach. It has been remarkable how it has helped me hold onto the iron.

Right now my hemo is 12.1 so it is trending down, but still hanging. My ferritin has gone from 66 in July to 20 on Thursday. Looks like I will be booking that infusion for January or February. In honor of my sinking iron stores, it has been terrifically cold here the last two days. I am talking 20 degrees. What's up with that? It also appears I working desperately to get some kind of cold.

What's the plan for Thanksgiving? We are doing the usual gauntlet. Lunch at the in-laws and dinner at my moms- maybe stop off at others for visits. I am making the turkey for my mom's and my pecan pies. It is really good with cinnamon ice cream. We plan to run a 5k that morning. It makes it seem like then I can eat what I want. The good thing about Thanksgiving is there are plenty of protein choices available.

Ok. Here is my new word. We elected the celebrity politician. Unfortunately, my main issues with him are his simularities to W. President-elect Obama insulates himself with only a few advisors. He has little to no governing experience. People voted for him because he looks like a good guy just like W. Many people seemed to be snowed by his media blitz, and he out spent his opponent 6-1 and only squeaked out the win. He has no foreign policy experience- just like W. I think the economy and its surrounding issues will dominate his 4 years in office. Do I hate all his stated policies- no. Do I think he can do all he has promised- no.

Will I be thrilled if it all works out- yes. Odds- not so hot. I guess you could say that hope didn't win me over. I do hope that all our new registered voters stay jazzed. I think that is awesome. People voted for change. I wish they could have voted for someone that could produce it.

Any one excited? I am, but I doubt it will live up to the 2000 election which was a nail biter for weeks. I expect will get our winner by Wednesday morning. My 11 year old son is thrilled. He wants to go to the polls with me tomorrow so that he can be part of the political process.

Did I also tell you he wants to be a politician someday? God Help Us All!

The State of Georgia has had early voting for 45 days. An amazing amount of people have voted. I think the total is 1.5 million already. I hope most them have researched their candidate, but that is asking a lot isn't it. It is going to be quite a contest tomorrow. I hope you all go vote or at least have voted.

Here is my prediction. No matter who wins, the next 4 years will be marked by huge economic difficulties. The winner will only serve 4 years, and they will be vilified much the way Jimmy Carter has been since his presidency.

Above is exactly how many calories I need to burn/not eat to get back to my fighting weight after a quick anniversary trip to New Orleans over the Columbus day weekend. It was a gastronomic tour of the quarter and beyond. My hubby and I had never been to New Orleans before. It is truly a fabulous city. Certainly, it has some unsavory elements, but it also has a tremendous amount of heart and charm. It is well worth saving as a better stronger city. We stayed at the Hotel Monteleone which has a great location right off Royal Street.

The first night we ate at the Acme Oyster House early and finished the night after much imbibing at the Krystal. Those little burgers can really help with an empty stomach and alcohol. The second night was our actual anniversary (15 years for those counting). We dressed to the nines and went to the power broker establishment on Bourbon called Gallatoires. It was lovely, but parts of the meal were hit and part were miss. I had crabmeat sardou. The bread there is fabulous and our server was a gem.

The third night was by far our best meal at NOLA an Emeril Lagasse location near our hotel. We did not have a reservation and it was early on a Friday night, so we heartily agreed to a kitchen view perch near the wood burning stove. What a totally delightful experience. The oysters roasted by our new friend Marcus were absolutely divine. Our server did his absolute best to make us feel at home and new his menu. This is the real deal people. They truly want to serve their customers with great food and and a fantastic experience. I wished we had gone there the first night because we most definitely would have returned another night.

The last night was the Orleans Grapevine. It is known for its wines. The entrees were fine, but the wine paired cheese board was so memorable that I am still thinking about the cheese and the fantastic caper berry that I had. Did I mention all the bread down there just rocks!

Other notable meals- Beignets at Cafe Du Monde- a perfection of fried dough and powdered sugar. The waitresses are a wee surly though. Do not miss the muffaletta at the Central Grocery near the French Market. It was triumphant.

We also took a 3 hour Greyline Katrina tour. It covered 50 miles and was very informative. I got a much greater impression of how much went terribly wrong after the hurricane. It seems as if this was the worst and best thing to ever happen to New Orleans. There are areas still completely devastated, but it seems like the city is going to recover and been stronger for what they have endured. Could that disaster repeat? Yes, the city has for generations made some poor building decisions on the North end by Lake Ponchetrain. Many of the homes are being revised and soem things are being done to prevent the catastrophic effect of the levies breaking. I fear it could reoccur, because of the way some parts of the city are built.

What was the best part? It wasn't even the food. It was the music. New Orleans is home to some of the very best musicians in the world. Most nights you can walk from club to club and get your hears fill of some no so fantastic, but some truly wonderful music of all kinds. We finished each night late as a place called Frietzel's. It is a jazz/blues club out at the end of the Bourbon Street strip. We sat on hard benches and swayed to some fantastic dixie land blues and jazz. Wow, if I had that hear would I go every night? I wish I could. I wish I had taken more video, so I could return there time and again. By the end of our stay, I had made friends with the house band members. They are so incredibly talented. They need no rehersals. They just sit and play together.

Would I go to New Orleans again? Damn skippy. Sign me up. It was a fantastic city. Now, about those 12 pounds. I came home weighing 147. I am down to 143, but I would really like to see the south side of 140 again. So, I am again back to trying to lose weight. It is not so easy these days, but it surely can be done.